Recently, the 187th Raising Day of the Assam Rifles has been celebrated in Shillong. Assam Rifles is the watchdog of the North East and the oldest paramilitary force in the country.
It came into being in 1835, as a militia called the ‘Cachar Levy’, to primarily protect British Tea estates and their settlements against tribal raids.
It significantly contributed to the opening of Assam region to administration and commerce and over time it came to be known as the “right arm of the civil and left arm of the military”.
Assam Rifles has two battalions stationed in Jammu and Kashmir and oneNational Disaster Relief Force battalion, which is playing its active role in case of natural calamities.
Although India has been contributing to the UN peacekeeping for many years, the addition of the Riflewomen Team of the Assam Rifles adds another social and human dimension to our commitment to the community of nations.
